NAPA, CALIF - MARCH 3, 2008: Jeremy Fox (cq), executive chef at Ubuntu, readies one of his dishes for servers. Fox will begin a series of Tuesday night dinners on Dec. 15, 2009. BY JOHN LEE / SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE less

NAPA, CALIF - MARCH 3, 2008: Jeremy Fox (cq), executive chef at Ubuntu, readies one of his dishes for servers. Fox will begin a series of Tuesday night dinners on Dec. 15, 2009. BY JOHN LEE / SPECIAL TO THE ... more

Photo: John Lee, Special To The Chronicle

Barbacco wine bar to open sans wine (briefly)

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The highly anticipated Barbacco (230 California St.), a San Francisco wine bar and neighborhood trattoria from Perbacco's Staffan Terje and Umberto Gibin, is scheduled to open Dec. 15, despite hitting a few bumps. One big one: They still haven't gotten a liquor license, pretty important for a wine bar.

No worries, writes Gibin in an e-mail. By January they'll be legal to serve beer and at least 100 wines, 50 by the glass.

In the meantime, the restaurant will be open for lunch only. Expect a menu of sandwiches, salads, soups, baked pasta and a couple of entrees. The duo is bringing in Sarah Burchard, sous chef at Perbacco, to head the kitchen.

Family style: Acclaimed Ubuntu chef-co-owner Jeremy Foxand James Syhabout of Oakland's Commis are teaming up for Ubuntu's first Tuesday dinner Dec. 15. The Napa restaurant (1140 Main St.) is generally closed Tuesday nights in the winter, but Fox wants to open occasionally "to play."

His idea of fun and games is to serve a family-style multicourse vegetarian meal to the first 18 people who make reservations. He's not clear yet on how many courses, but says "it will be a feast." Cost is $104 a person, which includes wine.

Diners will serve themselves, but Fox and Syhabout will wash the dishes. The two chefs worked together at the four-star Manresa in Los Gatos, but cooked at opposite ends of the line. "We were in each other's weddings, but have never gotten to cook together," says Fox.

Fox says he was originally playing with the idea of a Hanukkah dinner, but nixed the idea. However, he says, don't be surprised to find a couple of matzo balls floating around here and there. Matzo balls without chicken fat? Scoop has no doubt that Fox is up to the job.

Besides food, wine and intimacy, the 7 p.m. dinner will include a musical playlist chosen by the diners. Fox says he plans to call everyone with a reservation and ask for their 10 favorite songs.

Leaving the house: Bruno Chemelis resigning as executive chef at Mountain View's Chez TJ (938 Villa). His last day at the Michelin-starred restaurant is Dec. 19.

"I don't see my future there," says Chemel. "I'm no longer 25 and it's time for me to do something bigger with more of a challenge."

The chef is tight lipped about his next gig, but has hinted that it will be something where he'll have more control over the restaurant.

Fresh blood: John Maherhas started as the executive chef at San Francisco's Cav Wine Bar (1666 Market St.). Maher was formerly at Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Yountville, and most recently was sous chef at Aqua in San Francisco.

Adding on: Windsor's Restaurant Mirepoix (275 Windsor River Road) has been reconfigured into a more upscale tasting-menu concept, but chef-owner Matthew Bousquetsays he hasn't forgotten the fans of his casual classic French dishes.

He and his wife, Bryan Bousquet, who is also the wine director, are opening Bistro M in late December, in the former Langley's on the Green space (610 McClelland Drive, Windsor) just around the corner from Mirepoix.

Familiar dishes at lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch will include boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet and selections from the oyster bar.

Look for a familiar face in the kitchen, too. Former Mirepoix chef Ben Davieshas returned, after departing two years ago for sous-chef positions with the Restaurant at Meadowood and Murray Circle at Cavallo Point.

Peninsula shutter: Chef-owner May Yonghas informed us that she's closing Lure in San Mateo (204 Second Ave.). The restaurant will serve its last meal Christmas Eve. Yong says she's reached the end of her lease and has decided not to renew.

Two-fer: Last month we reported that San Francisco's Acme Chophouse at AT&T Park (25 Willie Mays Plaza) was closing and would be reinvented in time for next year's baseball season. Owners have decided to turn the space into two new restaurants - Public House, a sports-bar type of place, and Mijita taqueria.

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